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The former Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur player confesses he couldn’t resist answering his previous manager’s call for aid to assist in lifting Dundee United out of the Championship relegation zone.
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The Kenyan player Wanyama is equally captivated by the ambitions displayed by the club’s ownership from Fife.
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Now he is all set for an exciting debut against another ex-Celtic player as Pars go up against Scott Brown’s Ayr United at Somerset Park.
The possibility of an experienced player like
Victor Wanyama
Blending it with the intensity of the Scottish Championship would have once been unimaginable.
Ultimately, this is a midfielder who proved exceptionally effective during his prime years, and
Mauricio Pochettino
insisted on having him sign again, initially for
Southampton
and then for
Tottenham
.
And there he was at East End Park, talking about his comeback to Scottish football after being away for 12 years, calling it ‘a fairytale’ and an ‘easy decision’.
Mainly, of course, because he couldn’t ignore the distress signal from his ex-Parkhead manager Neil Lennon, who is now at Dunfermline, or the excitement of making his first appearance against Scott Brown’s Ayr United team.
Nevertheless, the 33-year-old Kenyan footballer emphasized that what really caught his attention was the vision of the new proprietors of Pars, who were determined to elevate the team from battling against relegation in the Championship to achieving much greater things.
One that could maybe see the club eventually return to the top flight Wanyama once graced with
Celtic
between 2011 and 2013.
James Bord from Las Vegas and Evan Soter recently acquired a controlling interest in Dunfermline, and Lennon has expressed excitement over the latter’s perspective on analytics as well as his future strategies for the team.
‘The manager has had a significant role in my career, and he requested that I come to assist him,’ disclosed Wanyama during his introduction.
‘I asked, “Why not?” Since he has been a significant figure in my career, I decided to go down and lend him a helping hand.’
“I also had a conversation with the owner. He has big aspirations. After hearing his goals and intentions for the team, it became clear right away. His enthusiasm for the sport is immense, and he aims to elevate the club to new heights.”
To start off, there’s an intense fight against relegation in this challenging and unforgiving atmosphere, where Lennon and Wanyama must work hard to steer the team clear of the perilous area before the season concludes.
‘I had various destinations to visit, but after Neil called me, nothing else came to mind,’ explained Wanyama, who recently concluded his four-year tenure with MLS club Montreal, where he also played alongside Celtic defender Alistair Johnston.
When he makes his debut against the Ayr side, who are coached by his ex-Parkhead teammate Brown, he will recognize another familiar face at Somerset Park on Saturday.
I haven’t talked to him (Brown), but I’ll reach out to him,” grinned Wanyama. “When I visited Celtic to see a match, I ran into him and we had a chat.
‘It’s really exciting to play against him as a manager. Definitely, my role and the boss’s will align against him, so it should be quite enjoyable. It feels somewhat like a fairy tale; I’m really anticipating this.’
Lennon strongly believes that Wanyama has the ability to utilize his extensive experience in this new type of challenge.
The Kenyan initially joined the Northern Irish manager in 2011 after moving from the Belgian club Beerschot. He became an essential part of Celtic’s team, contributing significantly with his goal during their memorable Champions League victory against Barcelona. This performance led to him securing a £12.5 million transfer to the Premier League with Southampton.
An unused Tottenham substitute in the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool, he says he understands why many will see this move to the Scottish second tier as a surprise.
‘No matter where I’ve been, it has always involved pushing myself, striving to elevate the team to the next level,’ he confessed.
‘This is an obstacle I’m eager to overcome. I am prepared, and with luck, together as a team, we can achieve this.’
‘I have experience, I’ve picked up knowledge along the way. I grasp what Scottish football is all about, and there isn’t too much difference. Therefore, we should do well; we’ll adapt to whatever comes my way.’
Wanyama’s contract runs through the end of the season, similar to Lennon, he hasn’t closed the door on potentially prolonging his tenure should everything work out positively.
“My aim is to assist the club in remaining within the league, and once that has been achieved, we can reconvene for further discussions,” he stated.
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